Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Paul Guenther walks back into the locker room before the Week 11 NFL game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Denver Broncos, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017, at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado. (Photo: Kareem Elgazzar, Kareem Elgazzar)

Paul Guenther, with no contract for 2018, is expected to leave the organization and city he’s called home for 13 years and explore other NFL opportunities now that Marvin Lewis is back as the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Enquirer learned via two league sources that Guenther considered moving on should he not be interviewed for the Bengals job, and now that Lewis is under contract through 2019 Guenther will indeed test the marketplace.

A league source told The Enquirer Guenther is considered as a candidate to be Jon Gruden's defensive coordinator in Oakland if and when Gruden is hired by Raiders owner Mark Davis.

Prior to this season, the Bengals blocked Guenther from leaving his position as defensive coordinator to hold the same title in Washington with Jay Gruden, but now with no contract in hand – Guenther is hoping this next step can better position him to fulfill that head coaching dream in the future.

Since taking over for Mike Zimmer as Marvin Lewis’ defensive coordinator in 2014, the Bengals have had two, top-10 scoring defenses in scoring and in three of the four seasons under Guenther the team has been in the top 15 in that category. That was long Guenther’s emphasis, as opposed to total defense. The best the Bengals finished in that category was No. 11 in 2015.

This year the Bengals defense, decimated by injury in the back seven, finished No. 16 in scoring and No. 18 overall.